1. Quality teaching requires strong professional learning communities. Collegial interchange, not isolation, must become the norm for teachers. Communities of learning can no longer be considered utopian;they must become the building blocks that establish a new foundation for Americas schools. –National Commission on Teaching, 2003, p.17

2. S.A.E.L.P Distributive Leadership Plans Delcastle Technical High School and Sussex Central High School Updates

3. How we got involved Process was started at our schools Grant was opportunity to seek funding to continue our work Both schools wrote the action plans and received the grant

4. PLC Definition Places in which teachers pursue clear shared, purposes for student learning, engage in collaborative activities to achieve their purposes, and take collective responsibility for student learning

5. Why are we doing this? A cultural change in the way we do business A process not a project Distributed Leadership and Professional Learning Communities

6. Advantages of PLCs Gains in Student Achievement Higher Quality Solutions to Problems Increased Confidence Among All Staff Teachers able to share strengths resulting in collective capacity Ability to test new ideas Expanded pool of ideas, materials, methods

7. A Professional Learning Community Looks like Learning for all Collaborative culture Collective capacity Focus on results Assessment for learning Widespread leadership Self efficacy Doesnt look like Teaching for some Teacher isolation Individual development Focus on activities Assessment of learning The charismatic leader Dependency

8. Delcastles Journey Establishing PLCs Training co-facilitators Writing a Vision Statement Internalizing our values Setting measurable goals

9. Sussex Centrals Journey Establish a Learning Focused School (LFS) Train teaches to lead teachers Utilize action research, data and curriculum mapping to prioritize an instruction plan Establish a consistent and pervasive format for lessons - EATS school-wide Modify school schedule to support a learning - focused environment and professional learning community (PLC)

10. SCHS Critical questions that guide LFS and PLC What is it we expect students to learn? How will we know when students have learned it? How will we respond when students do not learn? What will we do if students already have learned it?

11. Any school hoping to become a Professional Learning Community, regardless of the grade levels served, must decide how to respond as a school when it becomes evident that some students are struggling to learn essential skills and concepts. - Whatever it Takes, p. 94

12. Challenges 1.Developing and applying shared knowledge 2.Sustaining the hard work of change 3.Transforming school culture

13. Potential Barriers to Overcome Instructional staff turnover Finding enough qualified mentors and effective leaders Countywide system makes inclusion of community difficult Paradigm shift from traditional roles to new ones New schools/Retirements

14. Closing Thoughts Ultimately, we will know our school is successful if we are able to establish a system of collaboration and communication that exists regardless of the current administrative staff, the current instructional staff, and the current composition of the student body.

15. Because we believe that an exemplary school is our goal, all of our initiatives are the methods to reach the goal, and PLCs are ways to ensure that those initiatives are successfully implemented and evaluated. (Linden, 2006) Our Conclusion

16. Teacher Testimony How has the culture of our school changed What has been a major accomplishment as a result of this process Our next steps as a PLC